Day 14: Te Anau to Alexandra

Quite a long drive, with a choice of routes. I chose to avoid the long windy mountain route with sections called things like 'The Devil's Staircase' and took the slightly longer (+15 mins) alternative back through Gore. The splendid weather continues, with bright sunshine all day and sunburn a real hazard. By the evening the temperature had risen to 29, and then the breeze kicked in.

I stopped once for coffee in the morning, then continued on to Gore, where I had a pork burrito for lunch. Everything was open this time but I was still unable to find a place where I could get just, say, a Caesar salad. But the burrito was nice, and I ate it beside the river which was bursting its banks just a couple of days ago.

Turned north at Gore and followed the Clutha River through the middle of the island. There was a bit of up-and-down but not too much, and some nice towns along the way. I stopped at Roxburgh for a stroll around, anf again at Alexandra itself, which has its own version of the Hollywood sign -- a huge clock mounted on a cliff face behind the town. Here I bought the largest double-scoop cone of ice cream I have ever eaten. 

Google Maps seemed to be telling me I still had a long way to go, but in fact the cabins are just outside town. They are not cheap, but as accommodation they are superb; set in a nice garden with fruit trees, reasonably quiet, warm, well-furnished, excellent wi-fi--and the bathroom is indoors! It will be a shame to move on, but hopefully Timaru will be equally civilised tomorrow.

I've bought quite a lot of food, which I'm now trying to use up. At some point I will be reduced to boiled eggs and kumara, but not quite yet.

--
Jon Jermey
Indexer and database consultant
042 535 0422
webindexing.com.au

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